LOCATION MINNEOSA NMEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Sandy, mixed, thermic Ustic Torrifluvents
TYPICAL PEDON: Minneosa loamy fine sand - rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 inches; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) loamy fine sand, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose, few very fine to medium roots; calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly effervescent; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (8 to 16 inches thick)
C--10 to 44 inches; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) loamy sand, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; single grained; loose, few very fine and fine roots; strata 1/2 to 2 inches thick of sandy loam and fine sandy loam occur irregularly throughout this horizon and are commonly slightly darker than the intervening material; calcium carbonate disseminated; strongly effervescent; slighty alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary. (30 to 55 or more inches thick)
2C--44 inches; reddish brown (5YR 5/3) silt loam, reddish brown (5YR 4/3) moist; massive with weak evidence of laminae; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky, common medium faint pink (5YR 7/4) masses of iron accumulation; few very fine calcium carbonate nodules; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Quay County, New Mexico; 100 feet west and 100 feet south of the NE corner of sec. 1, T. 9N., R. 34E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mean annual soil temperature ranges from 60 to 62 degrees F. The soil to a depth of 40 inches is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline and is calcareous throughout.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR or 7.5YR, value of 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist, and chroma of 2, 3, or 4. Texture is very fine sandy loam or loamy fine sand.
The C horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 5 to 7 dry, 4 to 6 moist, and chroma of 2 to 5. Thin strata of sandy loam or fine sandy loam are always present but range in number among pedons and in thickness from about 1/4 to 2 inches.
The 2C horizon is absent in some pedons and ranges in thickness from 0 to 24 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Horner (AZ) series. Similar soils are the Agua, Anthony, Bankard, Beebe, Cowan, Ellicott, and Gila series. Horner soils have mean annual soil temperature from 62 to 65 degrees F. Agua, Anthony, Beebe, Cowan, and Gila soils do not have moisture regimes bordering ustic. Bankard, Beebe, and Ellicott soils have mesic temperature regimes.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Minneosa soils are on low terraces and floodplains along major drainageways. Slopes are usually less than 2 percent but ranges to 5 percent where wind action has hummocked the surface. The soils formed in sandy alluvial sediments. The climate is semiarid continental. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 58 to 60 degrees F. and mean annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 15 inches, of which more than 1/2 occurs in the summer months as heavy thunderstorms. The frost-free period ranges from
180 to 200 days and elevation ranges from 4,200 to 5,300 feet.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ima, La Lande, Montoya, and San Jon soils. Ima and La Lande soils have control section texture finer than loamy fine sand and have regular distribution of organic matter. Montoya soils have more than 35 percent clay in the control section and have cracks 1 cm. or more wide when dry. San Jon soils have texture in the control section finer than loamy very fine sand.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is negligible on slopes less than 3 percent and very low on 3 to 5 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Use is limited to rangeland. Native vegetation is principally annual weeds and sand sage.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Eastern New Mexico where the soils are
inextensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Quay County (Tucumcari Area), New Mexico, 1969.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon: 0 to 10 inches. (A horizon)